Voices Of Subversion: A Psychoanalytic And Feminist Analysis Of “Mrs Beast,” “Queen Herod,” And “Mrs Lazarus” In Carol Ann Duffy’s The World’s Wife

Abstract

Carol Ann Duffy’s The World’s Wife reclaims the voices of women who have been historically overshadowed or silenced in myths, biblical narratives, and literature. By employing dramatic monologues, Duffy allows female characters to articulate their experiences, desires, and inner conflicts. This article examines three key poems, “Mrs Beast,” “Queen Herod,” and “Mrs Lazarus,” through feminist and psychoanalytic lenses. Drawing on Simone de Beauvoir’s concept of woman as “Other,” Freud’s theories of the unconscious, and Jung’s archetypes, the analysis explores how Duffy’s heroines challenge patriarchal narratives while revealing the complexities of female identity, sexuality, and power.